A HOLY HOST of Perdendosi dignitaries, emissaries, secretaries-of-state, chancellors, prefects, advisors, regents and directors had convened on the motherships which ringed the Earth, and a network of near-space relays linked them all for the duration of the reported troubles in Universe City. At each of the planetside installations smattered across the globe, other members of the occupant elite watched for updates on the situation brewing around their main hub.

In the grand committee halls on each mother ship, every Chancellor had a seat containing at least one hundred image-globes docked into the station's base. At a Chancellor's command, a globe could be sent to any other Chancellor's station, where it would hover in mid air projecting an image of its owner, who could listen semi-attentively to whatever matter was being discussed. It was a symbol of perceived importance to have more globes orbiting your station. Globes were constantly whizzing across the halls, and right now no one had more of them peppering the air around him or her than Second Chancellor Allamandor. He hungrily eyed them as they approached, and continued dispensing his own perspective on the tumult on Earth (which really amounted to nothing more than spicy gossip at best).

Although he would never admit it, Chancellor Allamandor liked the attention the commotion visited upon him. It was known he was a close associate of Prefect Sinclair, and he made this fact obvious to those who didn't know. Even though he technically ranked above Sinclair, this fact (particularly in light of word of the Prefect's alleged resurrection) carried with it a certain status and celebrity. The business they were conducting on Earth really didn't afford them the time for such luxuries...but those at the top of their social strata indulged in them just the same.

In this respect, they were no different from the base humans they so despised but needed. And the need was absolute.

A cluster of officials from the Beldura sector swarmed together and vied for Allamandor's attention. Collectively, their rank was formidable and beyond reproach. But at this moment they were the ones seeking an audience.

"Chancellor, how would you rate the seriousness of the commotion in Universe City?" questioned Regent Stillwater. "Does this delay the progress we saw just a few days ago? There has been talk that Overguard Farewayth's actions have single-handedly taken the entire fleet of preliminary units offline. The practicality of such a decision is questionable at best and shameful at worst."

"I can assure everyone here, I've consulted directly with the Overguard and nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything, her quick thinking and grace under pressure have actually given our researchers more information to advance our mission. The processing center at the Way Station is perfectly functional." He graciously took the time to look each official in the eye as he spoke. "The only precautions in place right now are heightened security measures, in light of the recent insurgent attacks."

"Why now, Allamandor?" asked Census Director Gnoddof. "The humans have been essentially docile for the last three years. Why all of the recent flare-ups in hostilities in the past eight months? And why are they so centralized around Universe City? There has to be more than mere coincidence there."

"I couldn't agree more," said the Chancellor. "The most important of our outposts, the first city to be targeted in our occupation of Planet Earth suddenly a 'beehive' as they say of activity. Yes, there's obviously more going on there than meets the eye."

"Let's not forget the disappearance of Overguard Brittlesmith," piped up Integration Director Burnnendowe. He had also been present the previous Sunday at the testing of the pods at the Main Battery, and the current news had him especially nervous. He knew precisely the number of Perdendosi who awaited an improvement of the situation below, and what further delays in their research potentially meant to them. "Doesn't that weaken our security forces precisely at the time when you say they need to be shored-up?"

"It hasn't helped, but I have complete confidence Farewayth is more than capable of handling both duties until he can be found. We have others in place who will also be assisting in the day-to-day operations and further investigations in the city until things are stabilized. I should point out that there have been no other noted incidents of insurgence planet-wide. And technicians at the Universe City Harnessing and Way Station are in the preliminary stages of running yet another test of the host pods tomorrow, to determine once and for all if there has been any compromise of our systems there. None are expected. Everyone, the situation is contained."

Allamandor's smooth, confident words allayed a multitude of fears, even his own. Logic dictated that the Perdendosi agenda would be achieved as planned. They were meticulous planners and met failure with ultimate triumph. Even if information determining the whereabouts of Overguard Brittlesmith was all but nonexistent, it didn't matter. He would be found. It wasn't logical that humans could keep him hidden for long. Therefore he would be found.

At some point, once he had a chance to break away from the image globes that tracked his every step, Allamandor would again request a private audience with Sinclair. He understood that the medical attendants planetside wanted to make sure the Prefect was in stable condition before they allowed it, but that was hours ago. From what he'd been informed, Sinclair was now not only conscious but eager to return to duty. That sounded completely like the strong-willed, silver-maned man he'd come to know over the last thousand years or so. It was further proof there was little to be worried about.

For now, Allamandor simply basked in the attention of the hovering, unblinking globes. From his position on the mothership at the edge of cold outer-space, the answers would be forthcoming and the humans were in for a royal awakening. This was only logical.

BRITTLESMITH'S CONSCIOUSNESS SWAM against the tide of a never-ending series of mental probes which sought to find answers to the mystery of what his race so desperately wanted from the people of Earth. He wasn't gaining any ground, but he hadn't relented any either. He would not yield against this force that pulsated here in the most uncharted regions of his awareness, no matter if he had to keep it at bay for an eternity.

The strangest thing about the assault was how it wasn't painful or hurtful, even though it was more invasive than anything he'd ever experienced in his life. And it was constant. And it came at him forever, from every angle all at once, threatening to shatter that last bit of his resistance. It worked inward toward the darkness within him, expecting to find purchase somewhere, but instead falling into nothingness, a peculiar void in the psychological and mental makeup of his race.

The force that came at him wasn't like a knife seeking to cut the knowledge from him, but rather like a hand extended in something Brittlesmith's logical, evolved mind couldn't comprehend: a gesture of friendship. But the force was also strong and would not be denied. It pushed and pushed, speaking in rhythms and melodies and a quartet of tongues that Brittlesmith could not comprehend.

A collapsed star is referred to as a black hole and has a gravitational pull so strong not even light can escape it. Brittlesmith's soul however was missing an element that pulled the music into him where it was silenced. The music died upon contact with the Perdendosi, literally and figuratively. This didn't stop the music from advancing, but it gave it occasional pause.

The only moment Brittlesmith had dared to hope the assault might end had taken place...when? There was no way of knowing. Time had no definition here in this empty space deep within him. But it had happened and he remembered it. The voices had grown louder and glowed green at the edge of his vision, and in the distance there was a similar green glow. Then all at once he felt the presence of someone he knew, someone older and wiser than him. They both found comfort in the presence of each other, and it was only then that Brittlesmith had considered dropping the barrier of resistance. His companion seemed at peace, as though he'd glimpsed the purpose of his existence - no, ALL existence. And Brittlesmith wanted to know that peace too.

Then his companion was torn away back into the void, leaving Brittlesmith once again alone with only his mission. And he would stay faithful to it. He would stay hard.

Brittlesmith now might have screamed, but he knew he wouldn't be heard by anyone who could help, and he refused to give his assailant the satisfaction of hearing his frustration. He didn't trust this hand extended to him in mock-friendship and he never would. He would resist it until the last vestige of what could be called his consciousness ceased to exist. He would stay hard and he would remain out of reach.

But the green hand filled with music remained extended. It just had a little farther to go...

VEN AND THE others returned to the Chamber Hall shortly after 1:00PM, blissfully unaware of the fact that the intermediary's face now graced innumerable media outlets. He and fscked were now wanted, and only their relatively low profiles and the blurriness of the images broadcasted helped them at this point. However some of the people who saw these images online or on television knew exactly who it was the Perdendosi were after.

The Children knew. But they weren't saying anything. These were two of their own, after all.

When the quartet stepped into the Main Hall, the monitors displaying the Lords' likenesses were already alive with activity, which was unusual. They had been dutifully waiting for the return of the intermediary and his followers. Off to the side in the studio, Brittlesmith continued to lay unconscious beneath crimson lights, his finger completely regrown. The Lords had monitored this too, and drawn some preliminary conclusions, but they needed the contents of the Overguard's mind to confirm the information they sought was within arm's length. They needed what Ven had to give them.

((Were you successful?)) they asked.

Ven held up the case containing the cylinder he had been given. It was all the answer they needed. He ascended the steps to his workstation where a Maltix drive tray opened itself in anticipation. Ven plopped it into place and took a seat at his bank of video monitors. Below on the main floor, fscked removed her jacket and went to inspect the captive occupant. BulletBoy and tripsy returned the infocomm to its spot on the revolving mini-dias where its blue glow increased almost threefold.

There was a hum that started at Ven's workstation and then seemed to work its way across the system. This was indicative of the Lords extracting what they needed from the cylinder, simultaneously installing multiple programs that would allow them access to the data banks of the infocomm. The humming was joined by rapid high-pitched beeps from throughout the Hall. Once there was enough information loaded up into the mainframe, the Lords opened a link to the infocomm, bringing its circuitry into their vast network.

The tintinnabulation of alien components brimming with new life now joined the hypnotic electrical music that filled the air and walls of the Hall. The infocomm glowed even brighter and strobed light as it spun on its turntable. BulletBoy and tripsy were mesmerized, and even fscked turned away from the studio window momentarily to witness the display. The entirety of the Chamber Hall had become a virtual dance hall, replete with the pulsing images of the Lords acting as DJs.

The Lords voiced sporadic line-item system commands as they did their work, and their chanting blended perfectly with the aural digital reverie. BulletBoy was the first to give in to the pull of the symphony, then fscked and then tripsy, and the trio danced around the infocomm's dias, swept up and away by the hurricane of music.

Above them, Ven sat impassively enjoying the show behind his sunglasses. His eyes roved the patterns of light that made the alloys of this refuge their playground. Bopping his head slightly, he spun slowly in his seat to face the monitors and checked to see if he had anything interesting in his messages. He could occupy himself with this task while the Lords did what they had to do.

He did indeed have messages waiting for him. A lot of them. The majority had arrived in the last hour or so, and even now new ones popped into his inbox at a brisk pace. His first instinct was to read them all in order as he usually did, until he noticed the subject lines of most of the newer messages were similar. They all mentioned seeing something important on the news and the members wanted to know what was going on.

He skipped to what appeared to be the first message in the group referencing the topic and read it. Then he read another. And another. Then he followed several links from the messages to websites that carried the full version of the story that the members were inquiring about. When the first photos blinked into view on his monitors, Ven let out a resounding, repeated "FUCK!" that stopped the dancing down below immediately.

fscked, tripsy and BulletBoy dashed up the stairs to find Ven circled by online articles and streaming newscasts detailing the fight from the night before along Perseverance Way, along with the composites of the intermediary and his bodyguard.

The implication was obvious: the Perdendosi wanted them found now at all costs. They were serious enough to abandon their usual subtle, behind-the-scenes methods and inform the public about these renegades. In the space of a week, Ven and fscked had gone from being reluctant underground freedom fighters to out-and-out revolutionaries.

"Not cool," said BulletBoy.

"Looks like you made an impression," said tripsy.

"Great," said fscked. Already her mind was racing with plans of action. They would have to lay low, she knew that much. As far as they knew, the Chamber Hall hadn't been compromised so they'd be safe for the time being. But at some point they'd have to find a new base of operations. The severity of the situation might even merit them relocating off-planet if that was possible.

Ven leaned forward, fingers laced beneath his chin, reading every article. He realized all at once that he now had to place the totality of his faith in the Children not to betray who he was to the wrong person. That would be disastrous, not just for him, but for all of them. Did it make more sense to sever the link to the Children of Acid so they wouldn't have the option of inadvertently betraying their purpose, or to pull them closer and tell them everything? He'd operated on a need-to-know basis up 'til now. What was prudent for them to now know?

The lights dimmed and the music stopped.

The effect was disorienting, like stepping off a roller-coaster mid-ride. The four Children looked around and then at each other, and even Ven didn't know what to make of it at first. Then he saw that the infocomm was still quietly aglow and turning slowly on its dias. The lights around the Chamber came up softly now too. The round monitors flickered with static for a few seconds, then faded into the countenances of the Lords.

((We need to speak with you)) they said.

The outer doors of the Chamber hissed open and Ven stood, putting on his sunglasses. He took many of his cues from the Lords, notably in how he dispersed privileged information. They too operated on a need-to-know basis, and to date Ven was the only one that they'd entrusted to enter their inner-sanctum to receive their dispensed wisdom. He knew they now had something to say too delicate for the ears of the other Children. It wasn't the first time, and the others were actually glad he bore the responsibility. They couldn't imagine what it was he was about to hear.

He'd taken only a couple of steps when the Lords added, ((With all of you.))

fscked, tripsy and BulletBoy couldn't believe what they'd heard. They were at once stupefied, ecstatic and terrified.

Gingerly, they made their way up the steps along with Ven to the open outer doors of the chamber. Steam wafted at them, and there was the pulse of unbridled power within. Their hearts beat faster as they got closer. fscked walked directly behind Ven, arms clasped in front of her tightly. tripsy followed, feeling for all the world as though she was being called to the principal's office, and BulletBoy brought up the rear, his cockiness temporarily displaced by uncertainty. It was like walking into the lion's den.

The only thing keeping their nerves steady was how calm Ven remained. He was curious and he knew the reason they were all being summoned had to be a doozy.

As the quartet stood on the railing just beyond the outer door, the inner door whisked open, washing them all in a brilliant white-green light. fscked, tripsy and BulletBoy put up their hands to shield their eyes. It was like staring at the sun through a telescope. There was no way they could enter the Chamber beneath the glare of such radiance...

...And then hanging in the air in front of them were three more pairs of sunglasses, identical in tempering to Ven's, but each constructed to fit the bearer. The Children put them on and were able to handle the light. It was still extraordinary, but now suffused and manageable.

Then without another word, Ven turned and walked into the white-green light, and the sound of his footsteps faded with him. One by one the remaining Children followed, placing the totality of their faith in the intermediary and the Lords.

THE SPACE WITHIN the Chamber felt infinite yet intimate. It was vast and warm and caressed like a lover. Despite the lack of boundaries, there was the kiss of arousal present. To even call this "space" wasn't quite accurate, but it was a close enough metaphor. It was deep and it was sexy.

The Children hung weightlessly in the ether, senses stimulated to near-overload and a million questions sparking their neural network, causing small volcanic-like eruptions within their auras. The inhabitants of the Chamber could see this clearly - they could see everything here clearly. There was freedom. And there was music. And there was light.

The physical laws of the rest of the Universe were apparently suspended within this region. There was no ceiling or floor or walls here, though they had to exist somewhere. (How could they not? Hadn't the Children only just stepped through two-foot-thick doors to enter this chasm of contradictions?) Even the weight of their own bodies - the need for air and water and the continuous, merciless pull of gravity - had vanished. If it was possible, their very spirits felt lighter. This was true freedom, and it was Bliss. (SELAH)

The most exhilarating sounds resonated in every part of them, fast and slow and erratic and constant at the same time. (Was it all possible?) And the most fantastic part of this was the uniqueness of the experience. Each of the Children could feel - somehow - that the sensation of sound was different for each person present. Gloriously different, yet with a thread of cohesion. The songs they carried within them were like movements in a symphony, each distinct and singular yet part of a larger whole. (How could they have not noticed this before?) More than anything they'd ever heard in their lives, this was complete music, and it was Bliss. (SELAH)

And there was light. Oh God, there was light, sweet as nectar and bright as the heart of the sun. Memories of the Acid Bath swept over them and they floated in the sea of green, awash in feelings of safety and comfort and love. There were other colors here as well, many of which they'd never seen before and couldn't hope to name or describe. It was beautiful and neverending. This was the tapestry of light and it was Bliss. (SELAH)

Ven had experienced this before, but it never lost its majesty on him. He had never explained what it was like in the Chamber to anyone else, not because he wasn't allowed but instead because he'd have never been able to find the words. It had to be experienced to be understood. He had been granted an audience time and again with the souls that resided within, and only they could choose who was worthy of admittance. He stared at them and the light they generated, humbled and willing to do their bidding.

Meanwhile, the visitors worked furiously to find a small measure of composure before they dared to turn their heads toward the source of the light and gaze upon the faces of this dimension's inhabitants. The light came from the Lords of Acid. Or more correctly, the light was the Lords of Acid, as was the freedom and especially the music.

And this was their home.

As powerful as the Lords were, their time to again set foot upon the face of the Earth had not yet arrived. These four were the pure embodiment of the music of the Universe, and the music would summon them eventually. Music housed the Acid. It was the cocoon and superconductor. These four channeled the music and they needed their heralds, the Children of Acid, to set the stage for their ultimate performance. The call of the music had not yet been trumpeted - but it would be soon.

Member 3038 had been tapped soonafter the Childrens' reemergence from the Acid Bath to create a haven for the Lords. His special abilities allowed him to pry metals from the earth and create alloys specially attuned to the Lords' frequencies. As strong as the walls he made were, they had to be doubled to allow perfect and total resonance of their music. The Acid Bath hadn't just changed the Children; it also changed the Parents. They too were now evolved and continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, and this place would allow them the sanctuary needed to do so unhampered. For the time being, this was their home and their presence permeated every atom of the Hall, within and without.

There was the rippling melody of Deb, dancing with effervescent abandon across the fullness of their private dimension. And the rhythm of Oliver, producing a steadying measure of pattern and structure. And the freeform harmony of Nikkie, ensuring no space was wasted and that the beauty of their music held fast...and of course, the soul of Praga Khan. He bound the voices together and was now without question the purest incarnation of the Acid, as peerless as Zeus on Olympus. The Lords spoke as one, but Praga Khan's voice rose loudest of all.

The quartet addressed Ven, fscked, tripsy and BulletBoy who looked to their light and all confusion was wiped away.

((We've begun studying the information you've brought us. There's a problem)), said the Lords. ((And you're all going to have to act swiftly.))

"What is it?" asked Ven.

((When the Perdendosi last fired up their Battery, the end result was a crude map diagramming the location of every Child within the radius of the greater Universe City area. They don't yet know that's what the map indicates but they're dangerously close to finding out.))

"Is that what the Battery is for?" asked Ven. "To locate us?"

((No)), said the Lords. ((Until now, they didn't even know we existed. Let us explain what we now understand.))

There was a change in the vista, and a tangible stream of blue-hued information could be seen flowing across the terrain. This was all the gathered data from the infocomm, still being matriculated into the Lords' system. At the other far end of the fullness of the Chamber was the Earth. It revolved ever so slowly and purposely on its axis, regal and assured. Masses of green were surrounded by tides of deep blue and all of this was blanketed by a film of white tufts. This was their planet, alive and healthy as it was in days past.

((The Perdendosi came to Earth years ago, drawn by our collective energy. They infiltrated our societies quietly at first, spending decades amongst us without ever once being detected. There were only a few of them present but they were here with a purpose and they waited.

((Three years and eight months ago, they gathered en masse and put their plan into full effect. A weapon they called their Placation Beam was fired at our planet, specifically at Universe City. Its purpose was to lay the groundwork for their invasion, and they'd used it to conquer numerous other worlds in ages past. The beam would have stripped humans of their will to resist instantly, thus assuring our full compliance with their occupation within a matter of days.))

A fleet of Perdendosi motherships now swarmed around the big blue marble and filed into position. The Children watched as they loomed like vultures, waiting to harvest the carrion of the planet.

"Wait, I'm confused," said fscked. "Why were they here so long if they had this weapon? Why didn't they just use it when they first arrived?"

((They had to study us to ensure the beam would work, amongst other reasons. The Perdendosi are cautious by nature, and felt they'd left nothing to chance.))

"But they still missed something," anticipated Ven.

((They did. Our music.))

Beams of amplified starlight shot forth from several ships that orbited directly above North America. Their vectors caused them to intersect and merge into a single ominous ray, still several miles from the surface. The Placation Ray scorched through the atmosphere, signaling an end to the freedom of the Terrans below. The visitors to the Chamber were swept inward, now following the path of the beam. Down they all plunged, through the clouds until the lights of the metropolis glimmered below, resplendent in their final moments of undisturbed brilliance.

On an opposite path, streaking like a fire into the sky was an energy they were immediately familiar with, though they had never seen it before with their naked eyes. Gazing at it filtered through the Lords' perceptions, all they could do was marvel that it had existed beyond their cognizance until now. This was their music unbound and unfettered, released from the sprawl of Universe City over three years ago into the openness of outer space.

And then the unstoppable met the irresistible, colliding at the brink of the Heavens.

((When the two forces collided, our music acted like a dampening rod, absorbing and fraying the majority of the blast. Apparently, their beam was something they were incapable of reproducing. And it unlocked the Acid from our music, blowing us and you and all of the true Children into its embrace for three years.))

"Why couldn't they reproduce it?" asked tripsy, feeling more comfortable now in the Lords' presence. "Hadn't they made any kind of back-up plans?"

((The refracted Placation Beam still changed the chemistry of everyone on Earth, ever so slightly. It wouldn't work on anyone in the same way with anywhere near the same precision or potency as it was designed. In all of their worlds-conquering past, this weapon had never failed until now. Their contingency plan is all they were left with and what we're still dealing with today: a laborious, physical occupation of Earth.))

Again their vantage point changed and the Parents and their Children were back in orbit around the planet, watching as its color and vitality slowly ebbed away. A period of years was passing in front of their eyes in what felt like seconds. The graying of the Earth was indeed a reality, as apparent from out here where no human eyes (save one pair) had looked upon it, as it was from the ground. The Earth itself had been resisting the pull of the Perdendosi for years, but it was now growing tired at the strain.

((The ley lines of the Earth convened in Universe City in just such a way that would have allowed the beam to arrive and be channeled across the planet. During the years preceding the occupation, the aliens charted and manipulated the vortex here, making sure they'd be able tap into all of its supercharged potential. In the wake of the occupation, the Perdendosi erected the spires of the Harnessing and Way Station which have used these same ley lines to harness tremendous amounts of raw energy, processed, natural and unnatural to further their goals. The other installations across the planet similarly draw up energy, and then funnel it through the old straight tracks of the Earth to the Battery.))

"What for?" asked fscked.

((Ironically, for evolution)), said the Lords. ((As you and your brothers and sisters and we experienced a form of hyper-evolution while in the Acid, the occupants have worked tirelessly to perform a similar thing on selected members of the rest of the populace.))

The blue information from the infocomm whirled around them all, now displaying a digitized version of the contents of Level One of the Battery. Row upon row of pods lay before them all, each cupping a human inside, floating in stasis...until seared with the collected energy stored within the alien construct. Thousands of Terrans twitched and writhed in unconscious agony, being force-fed a diet of rapid physical and mental advancement.

((They're pushing our species up the rungs of the evolutionary ladder, whether we want it or not.))

"But they hate us!" declared BulletBoy. "Why would they do this? It makes no sense!"

"No, it makes perfect sense - to them," said Ven. "We just haven't figured it out yet."

((Exactly.))

A darkness grew in the far reaches of the Chamber, rapidly closing the distance between itself and the eight floating figures. It came and enveloped them, smothering everything that made the environment so alive and stimulating. The color and the music and the light were all gone. Had it not been for the closeness of the Lords, still shining like beacons in the cold blackness, the Children would have been petrified.

((In trying to learn what the occupants want with the Earth, we've been met with resistance.))

A deep, crimson scream pierced the void. It was hard and brittle and defiant. This was the mind and spirit of Overguard Brittlesmith, and he refused to give in. The Lords' frustration was now apparent.

((The data from their infocomm is plentiful yet incomplete. It details what they're doing, but not why they're doing it. That information is locked within the minds of the Perdendosi. We need this one to give us access to the part of his brain that has the ultimate answers.))

The Lords all turned to face Ven, and when they next spoke it was Praga Khan's voice that was at the fore. ((There is one Child that can help us bridge this gap. The risks are enormous, but we cannot overstate the urgency of the need.))

"I know who," said Ven calmly. "I'll get her." So it was spoken, so it would come to pass.

At their feet was light again, and the Children looked down - which wasn't really down, but it was close enough - to see the lights of present day Universe City glinting below. The Way Station was also visible, and its azure glow began to burn brighter. In response the other lights across the city flickered and dimmed, finally sputtering out altogether like birthday candles as the Battery reached its apex of consumption.

((When the Perdendosi ran the most recent test of their Battery, there was feedback recorded from the motherships in space.)) The lights of the city and the Way Station slowly returned to their normal balance. ((This appears to be an unforeseen side-effect of its energy backwash.))

One by one, tiny blips of green light dotted the surface of the city and then well beyond. There were several thousand of them, jade diamonds slightly flawed yet priceless nonetheless.

((The coordinates were unspecific enough that the occupants weren't able to do anything with them. But now that they have something to look for, they will. And now that they've encountered you, they'll quickly figure out how to connect these dots.))

Four of the dots jumped up, removing themselves from the far-eastern end of the cityscape. They flew into the sky until they merged with their hosts, the Children hovering in the Chamber. Each experienced a rush of warmth and their eyes glowed behind their sunglasses as they realized they were the dots, and the Battery tests had rendered them visible to their enemies.

BulletBoy laughed his sinister, menacing laugh at this bit of information and the effect was gargantuan. It echoed throughout the chasm, surprising even him with its resonance as it spilled off into the great beyond.

"We've got to take out the Battery," shot the gunslinger. "That's our target."

((Yes.))

"Otherwise, the next time they fire it up, they'll know exactly where we're at - unless we trip the circuit." said tripsy.

"So when do they plan to run their next test? How much more time do we have?" asked fscked.

((There's no way to know)), said the Lords. ((Your current actions have thrown them into disarray, but they're steadily regrouping and their plans will move forward. At this point, every second counts. You must buy us more time...))

Their directives complete, the Lords allowed the netherworld of the inside of the Chamber to dissolve momentarily. The empty metallic walls heaved a sigh of relief and the Children regained their footing and stiffened their resolve. The Parents continued to hover above them in the air, ever brilliant and patient with their Children.

((...Trip the circuit. Dismantle the Battery.))

At the Lords' command, the inner doors whisked open, directing the Children to leave and start their mission. Their hopes buoyed by this brief encounter (although "brief" might not apply since there was no way to measure the time spent in this dimension), the intermediary, the bodyguard, the motorist and the gunslinger exited the Chamber. Their eyes gleamed, bristling with the power they would soon unleash upon their enemies. And God help anyone who stood in their way.

As the inner door resealed itself, the Lords all relaxed ever so slightly and the Chamber was again awash in their ambient energies. The Children would never realize that the Lords had been holding back while they were visiting...the actual scope of the Acid was so far beyond their comprehension that it might have sent them all into catalytic shock to witness it. So the demigods scaled it back, allowing the Children to see only what they could handle. They were on a need-to-know basis after all. They were granted no more and no less than what they needed, and to know less in this instance was to know more.

The waiting continued. Praga, Deb, Oliver and Nikki extended their senses again beyond the walls of their Chamber, out into the space beyond and monitored the pulse of the world. The Parents were placing the totality of their faith in the hands of the Children.

They would not be disappointed.